AN under-fire housing association is being further investigated for “serious failures” that include putting tenants at risk of asbestos.

The housing watchdog is continuing to oversee failing Thistle Housing Association - and will parachute yet more of its own staff in to prop up the beleaguered company.

An extraordinary raft of complaints sees Thistle criticised for issues with health and safety; financial health; governance and board skills; asset management; and failing to provide accurate information.

Hundreds of families were affected by a botched programme of works to make homes more environmentally friendly.

It was carried out in conjunction with energy giant E-on using around £6million of Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council money.

What should have been a 14-week energy upgrade programme, beginning in 2016, is still dragging on with repairs needed to renovation work.

Residents have battled relentlessly to have Thistle bosses take their concerns about the quality of work seriously.

They said building work carried out was clearly below par - and not long after roof work was completed, tiles fell off and narrowly missed residents below.

Roughcasting had to be re-done, meaning in some cases residents had scaffolding repeatedly erected outside their homes.

READ MORE: Thistle Housing slammed for financial mismanagement

One property required to have roughcasting done four times. After more than two years of misery, the Scottish Housing Regulator stepped in to investigate.

Its concerns were so great that in August 2018 it parachuted in five members of staff to try to fix the problems at the Toryglen housing association.

Now, a new report shows the housing association is still failing, one year on, and the watchdog plans to increase the number of its appointees to the association to nine.

The report also reveals that in November last year Thistle tried to appeal against the ruling made by the housing authority – despite the clear catalogue of failures.

Locals have expressed serious concerns about asbestos in the roof spaces of their buildings but were dismissed by Thistle.

Now, the housing regulator says that in June this year it established Thistle had “provided inaccurate information about its management of asbestos to tenants and residents and to ourselves.”

The report says: “We required Thistle to immediately independently review the quality of its asbestos management systems.

“The governing body extended the scope of the review to include Thistle’s management of Legionella.

“Our assessment is that there are potentially serious weaknesses in and failures in Thistle’s approach.

“In view of the seriousness of these matters, with support from the statutory manager, Thistle immediately commissioned expert independent reviews into its compliance arrangements for asbestos, electrical, fire, gas, lift and water safety.”

READ MORE: Thistle Housing row heats up as contractors leave site

The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the asbestos issue. A spokeswoman said: “HSE is aware of the issue and is currently investigating.”

It was also found that Thistle had not carried out employer health a safety reports in six years.

The Evening Times has repeatedly asked Thistle how much additional cash will be spent on repairing its bungled works.

But every time the housing body returned with the claim that no “additional costs” would be incurred for the works running two years over schedule. Now, the report shows this to be false.

It reads: “Thistle has now told us the remedial work required to the roof installations completed under the major works investment contract will incur significant costs additional to its planned investment.

“Thistle had previously provided incorrect information to tenants, residents and ourselves that there would be no additional cost as a result of remedial work on the contract. So this additional cost is not currently provided

for in Thistle’s business plan.”

The Scottish Housing Regulator adds, due to a lack of sufficient progress over the past year: “We have decided to increase the number of appointees on the governing body to nine to support Thistle to deal with the range of complex and serious issues it is facing.”

A spokesman for Thistle Housing Association said: “Thistle continues to work closely with the SHR to address the areas highlighted in the updated engagement plan, with work already under way as outlined within the report.”